| Sydney Road Community School is a small government-run alternative high school in Melbourne, Australia. It caters for students in years 7-12 and focuses on a more relaxed approach to schooling than the majority of schools. For many teenagers it is merely a last resort before dropping out but to more artistic-minded students it can be utopic.
Whilst SRCS gives students a solid background in the three R's1, it also gives strong attention to subjects often given short shrift in mainstream education facilities, such as Art, Photography and Music. Especially in the case of the Music Department, where they have reached the realisation that it is difficult for most young people to understand and learn from Beethoven, and that there is still something to be learned from Limp Bizkit. Small bands are formed in each year level (guitar+bass+keyboard+drums etc.) and given almost complete autonomy in what they play.
One of SRCS's main strengths is its size. It has a total student body of ninety-four, with an average class size of 15-20. In most high schools in Australia, class sizes are usually as high as 35-40. This enables every teacher to know every student well, and the use of first names helps build respect as well as strong teacher-student relationships.
Of course there are many students who would not be able to cope there. It has a fairly high dropout rate (due to the fact that it is just a last resort for many students), you soon discover that this is the only school I've ever seen that actually requires self-discipline. If you don't do the work, the teachers won't hound you, they will fail you. For this reason I would not recommend this school for every student, but for many it is a godsend.
1On a side note, I once read that the man who coined this phrase was an illiterate. /msg me if you can confirm this (or tell me who it was). | 
